Research suggests that up to a quarter of the British population fear they may be forced to turn off their heating and hot water this winter due to expected increases in their energy bills.
According to a survey by the charity Citizens Advice, the proportion of those saying they would have to take such drastic measures has risen to 31 percent among households with children and 39 percent among those on low incomes.
The charity, which is still supporting a record number of people with energy debts despite lower costs in the summer months, said that without urgent government intervention, households “will continue to face impossible choices and drastic cuts to be able to heat their homes”.
Overall, the survey found that 48 percent of respondents said they would have to turn down or turn off their heating or water if the energy price cap rose by the 9 percent predicted by experts.
A third of households surveyed said they were struggling to afford food and other essentials such as mortgages, rent and childcare, while 7% said they were forced to skip meals.
Energy consultancy Cornwall Insight recently said the energy bill for a typical household would rise from the current £1,568 to £1,714 a year on 1 October as a result of the cap increase.
Energy regulator Ofgem is expected to confirm the new energy price cap for October to December on Friday.
According to Citizens Advice, 7 percent of households currently owe money to their energy supplier. Among households with children, the figure rises to 14 percent, despite a slight reduction in bills since last year.
The aid agency added that the incomes of around five million people would be exceeded by their basic monthly expenses and that the expected increase in the price cap would push another 187,000 people into negative budgets.
Citizens Advice said the government must “act quickly” to prevent millions of households from experiencing further hardship this winter. People in “great need” cannot wait for the realisation of Labour’s long-term aim of reducing costs through a greater focus on renewable energy.
The charity said reforms that ensure support for families with children and disabled people through the current Warm Homes Discount, which better reflects true energy needs, would ease immediate pressures.
The scheme currently provides a one-off payment of £150 for people on low incomes and pensions.
The expected rise in bills comes after Finance Minister Rachel Reeves announced that there would be no universal heating allowance this winter and only pensioners on income-related benefits would be eligible for it this winter.
Ministers have launched a campaign to urge those still entitled to winter heating allowances to continue paying, as the Government is expected to withdraw energy allowances from millions of older people.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said the charity was preparing for a “difficult winter”.
She added: “The price cap will leave many households trapped in debt, bill payers forced to make impossible choices to make ends meet, and families worried about the impact of the cold on their loved ones.”
“Energy prices may have fallen since the height of the crisis, but with many businesses already in the red and previous support packages being cancelled, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel for those in greatest need.
“The government has inherited a huge challenge and must therefore act immediately.
“We need targeted bill support that reflects people’s actual energy needs.”
Louise Steel, debt officer and head of advice services at Citizens Advice Wyre Forest, said the charity will be relying on recruiting more volunteers during the colder months as the need for support increases.
She added: “When people struggle to pay their energy bills, it impacts everything else too.
“We have supported people who have sold all their non-essential electrical appliances to pay their rising bills. And we also have people who stay in our waiting room longer than necessary just to warm up and watch TV.
“The knock-on effects of this are not only financial. Many of those we support with energy costs also suffer from anxiety and depression.”
The survey data is based on a representative online survey of 2,209 adults.
A spokesman for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Emissions said: “Fixing the broken energy system by investing in clean energy is at the heart of our mission to protect families from price shocks and make the UK more energy independent.”
“We will also support households to cut their bills and reduce fuel poverty through the £150 Warm Home Discount and the Warm Homes Plan – and this term we will renovate millions of homes.”
